Premier Li Keqiang and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau set a goal on Thursday of doubling trade between their countries by 2020.

The leaders met for what Li called an inaugural annual dialogue in Ottawa, just three weeks after Trudeau visited China.

The issue of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement was revived, with the goal of doubling trade between the two countries by 2020, Li and Trudeau announced at a joint media conference.

They also witnessed the signing of several bilateral agreements in the Canadian capital.

The main agreements included a joint statement to develop cooperation in third-party markets; a cooperative arrangement for bone-in beef from cows under 30 months of age, and a memorandum of understanding on a joint management plan for Canadian canola seed exports to China. Another agreement was on leptosphaeria maculans risk mitigation (MOU). Leptosphaeria maculans is a fungal pathogen that causes crop disease.

The four-year deal allowing Canadian canola to continue to be exported to China is worth $2 billion.

According to the prime minister's office, other bilateral agreements announced include:

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and the National Development and Reform Commission of China signing an MOU to collaborate on joint research, training and seminars to address the challenges of China's aging population, including pension reform and the promotion of investment in the domestic senior care industry from global investors;

A commitment from Sinoenergy Corp Ltd to support operations of the Long Run Exploration Ltd facility in Alberta, an intermediate oil and natural gas company focused on development and exploration in Western Canada, by the injection of an additional $500 million over the next two years;

SNC Lavalin and CANDU Energy signed an agreement in principle for a new joint venture with the China National Nuclear Corp and Shanghai Electric Group Co Ltd to develop, market and build the Advanced Fuel CANDU Reactor AFCR.

That would include design centres in both countries and allow contracts for to build nuclear reactors.

Iovate Health Sciences International Inc of Oakville and Xiwang Food Stuffs Co Ltd signed a share-purchase agreement worth $962 million.

Also signed was an agreement on the sharing and return of forfeited assets, which is China's first special agreement on asset recovery, marking a milestone in China's international judicial cooperation.

Earlier on Thursday, Li was welcomed by Trudeau with military honors at the Drill Hall at Cartier Square, a military training facility in Ottawa, the capital of Canada.

He then went to Parliament Hill, where he was welcomed by George Furey, speaker of the Senate, and Geoff Regan, speaker of the House of Commons.

After a tete-a-tete with Trudeau, the two premiers held an expanded meeting. Li and his wife, Cheng Hong, arrived in Ottawa on Wednesday evening, after an hour-and-a-half flight from New York, where Li had attended the 71st United Nations General Assembly meetings.

Two hours after their arrival, the couple attended a dinner party hosted by Trudeau and his wife at Harrington Lake, the prime minister's country residence.

The visit marked the first in 13 years by a Chinese premier to "the beautiful land of maples".

Contact the writers at zhaohuanxin@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 09/23/2016 page2)